Power

Power Contacts

IQE plc

(44) 2920-839-400

sales@iqep.com

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a compound semiconductor that offers a diverse range of RF, photonic and electronic properties.

Of particular interest is the material’s ability to cope with high voltages, high temperature, and high power which makes it an ideal candidate for power control systems which are growing in demand driven by alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and wave power, and also the adoption of electric vehicles.

It is estimated that more than 10% of all electricity is ultimately lost due to conversion inefficiencies, as energy is switched from generation, to grid, and through to consumption. The scale of this loss exceeds the world’s entire supply of renewable energy generation.

The transformers that we use for our electronic devices, such as laptop power supplies, provide a vivid example of this phenomenon by the virtue of the heat energy they generate as electricity is lost.

GaN offers performance and efficiency which are orders of magnitude better than the silicon technology which dominates power switching technology today. Indeed, this technology has the potential to eliminate up to 90% the energy lost through switching.